Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Polycarp66 AT aol.com]

In a message dated 4/10/2000 8:16:34 AM Central Standard Time, eweiss AT gte.net 
writes:

<< Please forgive my possible mistransliteration; it's usually spelled 
"melech 
 haolam" in popular English transliteration.
 
 I know this isn't a Biblical phrase, but it is in many Jewish liturgical 
 prayers dating to Biblical times.
 
 It's usually translated "King of the Universe" but (WOLAM to me has more of 
 a time sense than an earth/solar system/galaxies sense (which is how I 
 react to the word "universe"). I've checked Brown-Driver-Briggs, Holladay, 
 Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, New International Dictionary of 
 Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, and Ernest Klein's Etymological 
 Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for meaning(s) of (WOLAM.
 
 What would be a better translation?
  >>

I think generally B.fRU.K )fT.fH ):aDoNaY ):eLoHeYNU.  MeLeK Ha(oWLfM  is 
translated as "Blessed are you, Oh Lord our God, King of the universe." In 
this usage of (oWlfm I don't think a temporal element is so much in view 
except in the sense that it incluces all that is or has been.

gfsomsel